


Back to Their Roots

by completelyhopeless



Series: Two Circus Birds [21]
Category: DCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Elephants, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Some Humor, two circus birds universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 03:15:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3594282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/completelyhopeless/pseuds/completelyhopeless
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Recovering from his last mission and May dying his hair purple, Clint accompanies Dick to the circus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Back to Their Roots

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shanachie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanachie/gifts).



> I wanted to do something light and nice for the circus birds universe after the last part and how long it took me to get through it. So I wanted short, fun, and happy.
> 
> Happy = elephants & purple hair.
> 
> So this is what happened. I had promised a while ago to do another fic where Clint's hair was purple. Here it finally is.

* * *

“My hair is purple,” Clint said, trying to decide if the reflection was a joke, one of his injuries or the whole brainwashing attempt working against him. He couldn't be sure, but his hair was definitely purple.

“Believe it or not, I had nothing to do with that.”

Clint jerked, turning back and cursing himself for letting his guard down. With just about anyone else, he'd be dead right now. Or hurt worse than he already was. Still, it wasn't good that he'd missed the signs—and sounds, though that he could probably blame on his hearing aids possibly being damaged—of someone entering his apartment and getting that close to him. He should have had a weapon nearby. He should have been prepared.

If he had been, maybe his hair wouldn't be purple now.

“Yeah, sure. You expect me to believe that one?”

Dick smiled. “I don't care what you believe, actually. I know I didn't do it. I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it, but I was not the one who dyed your hair purple. Remind me to congratulate May later, though. Job very well done.”

“May.” Clint looked back at the mirror. It figured. She was pretty damn good. “I'll get her back for this. It'll be good, too.”

“Yeah, sure it will,” Dick said, and Clint frowned at him. Dick shrugged. “Hey, I am the one who always won the prank wars we had as kids.”

“Only because you shot Batman in the ass.”

“I did not,” Dick said, shaking his head. “That was you. All you.”

Clint laughed, grabbing his side when it hurt. “Ouch. Damn it.”

“You look like hell.”

“Yeah, well, you're a bit less than rosy yourself.” Clint moved away from the bathroom, needing a chair to collapse in. He fell onto the couch, grimacing. “I guess I took the brunt of things on our last mission. I'm fine. Had worse.”

Dick shook his head. “Sadly, I wish you were lying, but I know you're not.”

Clint shrugged. He regretted it, but tried not to show it. “What's with you, though? I wouldn't have figured on you just showing up like this, not after the way that... thing went down.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “We are still friends despite a certain... disagreement in policy. It's not like we could really stop being friends. I don't think we know how.”

Clint thought about it for a second before nodding. “Yeah, I think you're right. That still doesn't answer why you're here.”

Dick took the other side of the couch, perching more on the arm than the actual chair. “Can you accept that telling you might alter the course of events so I can't tell you?”

“No. Partially because whatever you just said made no sense whatsoever.”

Dick sighed. “I think it's important that whatever happens next plays out without my direct interference. I'm here for damage control, mostly. Just leave it at that.”

Clint picked up a pillow and threw it at him. “You are such a dick. No. That does not work for me. I want answers.”

“Would you exchange answers for a good revenge against May?”

“Damn it,” Clint said. “You know me too well.”

Dick grinned. “Did I mention the circus is in town?”

* * *

“Zitka!” Dick called, seeing her head over the others in among the tents and crowd. The elephant heard him, raising her trunk and letting out a bellow that scared the children in front of her. He winced. That hadn't been his intention at all. Running over, he went to soothe all the ruffled feathers. “Sorry, old girl. I didn't mean to get you excited. And you two have nothing to fear from Zitka. She is a sweetheart. The sweetest of the sweets.”

The older girl looked up at him, scowling through her glasses. “How would you know that?”

“He grew up with this elephant,” Clint said, catching up to them as Dick gave Zitka's ears a good scratch. “That's his best friend in the whole world besides me.”

“No way,” the younger girl said, popping out her sucker and pointing it at Dick. “You don't grow up with elephants. That's not how it works. They're in the wild or in zoos or—”

“Right here in the circus,” the ringmaster said, smiling. “I knew when I heard that call from Zitka someone was here, and I was hoping it would be you, Dick. I was starting to fear we'd lost both you boys.”

“No, sir,” Clint said. “We've just been... busy.”

“Uh huh. Not too busy to dye your hair purple, though, I see.”

“You think it's too much?” Clint asked, running his fingers through it. “I was hoping it wouldn't be, but if Zitka doesn't recognize me—”

The elephant reached over with her trunk and dragged him close to her. Dick smiled. Really, it just took one elephant to make everything right with the world.


End file.
